How can I buy the ticket? Only at stations where international ticket desk exists

When can I buy the ticket? 60 days prior to departure

Route map of Bosphor Express (Bucharest Istanbul train)

* Based on route data provided by EcoTransITWorld. Shows route roughly. The Pehlivankoy-Kapikule stretch seen on territory of Greece had changed. The new rail connection is going through Turkish territory, going towards north from Pehlivankoy via Edirne to Kapikule.

Thanks for posting, tagger Romanian and Hungarian sites seem to contradict the Turkish ones, I was thinking of setting from Bucharest to istanbul with an overnight stop in veliko tarnovo. Can I do both legs direct or will I need to change? If I read you post correctly the locomotive will change but the passengers will remain on the carriage right through, is that right? Do they still require to disembark at the border crossing?

Hi Stuart. Bucharest-Istanbul train is a direct train, no need to make interchange. Yes, locos will change a couple of times.. Unfortunately, you need to disembark at BG/TR border, in Turkish side, at Kapikule. Take it as a old-fashion ceremony where you may find chance to meet new friends. 🙂

By virtue of my passport I am allowed visa-free entry to Romania. However, I can’t travel to Bulgaria. If I take the Bosfor Express from Turkey to Bucharest, would I need some kind of transit visa for Bulgaria or would I be allowed to pass as I am allowed into Romania. I can fly to Bucharest from Istanbul, but then where’s the fun in that? Some clarification will be appreciated in this regards. Thnx

So, it’s by air then. Dont have time to get a manual Bulgarian visa that too only for transit. They dont have e-Visa facility. Wish I could have travel by the train to Bucharest and then further to Vienna. But then whereas I can enter Austria on my passport, I cant do the same for Hungary, and would likely need a visa. Unfortunate.

Thank you. Unfortunately, the routemap is the only digital mapping of the route. Timetable shows the up-to-date route. We hope to update the route as soon as any of the operators on this route shares the digital route map.

Dear Mr Uysal,
Your website is so fantastic- particularly where you give the detail station-wise timetable for
trains. Keep up the good work and please update the details as and when required. So many travellers will learn to depend on your information.
I’ve written to Mark Smith of seat61.com to highlight your website as a source of detail information on Turkey Travel. Wish to meet you someday in Turkey. Best wishes
Gautam Hazrachoudhury
Kolkata, India

Hello! We want to go to Istanbul from Bucharest in September. We learned that there is no Online ticket sale… We live in Russia and do not have the opportunity to buy tickets in advance at the box office. So we are worried that a couple of days before the trip will not be able to buy tickets. Or is it a vain excitement and tickets are bought without problems just before the trip?